BJYM march turns violent, several injured

Thiruvananthapuram: Police used force to
disperse hundreds of youth activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva
Morcha after their march to the secretariat here against the
Kerala government`s decision to raise retirement age of
government employees from 55 to 56, turned violent on Saturday.

Police resorted to lathicharge, used water cannon,
teargas shells to disperse the agitators who started pelting
stones at them.

Several persons, including an assistant sub inspector and
a news channel cameraman, were injured in stone pelting and
lathicharge, police said.

Five BJYM activists were taken to hospital with injuries,
while more than 100 people were taken into custody. Police
chased away the remaining youth workers.

The march, led by Yuva Morcha state president V V Rajesh,
was flagged off by BJP state President V Muraleedharan.